1. Field
The present invention relates to wireless communication systems, and specifically to an adaptive de-jitter buffer for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for packet switched communications. The invention applies to any system where packets may be lost.
2. Background
In a communication system, the end-to-end delay of a packet may be defined as the time from its generation at the source to when the packet reaches its destination. In a packet-switched communication system, the delay for packets to travel from source to destination may vary depending upon various operating conditions, including but not limited to, channel conditions and network loading. Channel conditions refer to the quality of the wireless link. Some factors determining the quality of the wireless link are signal strength, speed of a mobile and/or physical obstructions.
The end-to-end delay includes the delays introduced in the network and the various elements through which the packet passes. Many factors contribute to end-to-end delay. Variance in the end-to-end delay is referred to as jitter. Jitter may cause packets to be received after the packets are no longer useful. For example, in a low latency application, such as voice, if a packet is received too late, it may be dropped by the receiver. Such conditions lead to degradation in the quality of communication.